London Bar has Been Fined £19K for Playing Music Without a Licence

It’s crazy that people still attempt to get away with Playing music without a licence in this day and age, but be warned, you could end up with a hefty fine and possibly a prison sentence behind it.

Socialite Bar in Muswell Hill lost their case in the High Court and was ordered to pay a total of £19K for playing music without a licence.

“This ruling demonstrates how seriously the courts treat copyright infringement and reiterates that music can only be played in public if the right licences are obtained”

PPL said “There is an intrinsic value that music adds to businesses and this judgement acknowledges that the creators of the music should be fairly rewarded for this,”

PPL is the organisation in the UK that issues licences to businesses and venues that play recorded music for public consumption. These businesses include bars, nightclubs, gyms, hotels and the like.

The court heard that the defendant and owner, Bryan John, failed to comply with the legal requirement after being repeatedly contacted and given opportunity to rectify the situation was told by the High Court he faces a prison sentence if the venue continues playing music without a licence.

If you run a venue and would like some advice on your options for playing licensed music, feel free to contact us.